Here's how much money you actually take home from a $75,000 salary depending on where you live

What you see isn't always what you get — especially when it comes to salary.

According to a 2010 study from Princeton University, Americans' happiness number — the income threshold at which their day-to-day happiness is no longer enhanced by earning more money — is $75,000.

That's a reasonable number. In fact, it's nearly 30% more than the national median income. But depending on where you live, a $75,000 salary can look very different when it hits your bank account, after federal, state, and local governments have taken their share.

We used SmartAsset's paycheck calculator to find out what $75,000 looks like after paying taxes in 11 popular US cities. The chart below shows annual take-home pay in each city.

Seattle workers keep 10% more than New Yorkers with the same salary. Skye Gould/Business Insider

Some states, like Washington, Florida, and Texas, don't have state income taxes, so a $75,000 earner will bring home a bigger paycheck there than someone in California or New York.

Still, these totals account only for state and local income taxes, which vary by place, plus federal income taxes and Social Security and Medicare (known as FICA), which amount to $778 per pay period no matter where in the US you live.

If you're contributing to a tax-advantaged retirement account, like a 401(k), the paycheck you bring home will be less than these figures.

But in that case, your savings are covered — or at least part of the recommended 20% of your paycheck you should earmark for savings and paying off debt — and the rest of your paycheck can go toward necessities like housing, food, transportation, and discretionary spending.

The same goes for health insurance, if you're enrolled in a healthcare program through your employer, which will deduct monthly insurance payments from your paycheck on a pretax basis.

New York City residents fare the worst in our city comparison. Earners there take home just under $50,000 on a $75,000 salary, largely thanks to steep state income taxes and city taxes. That doesn't leave much to cover housing or transportation costs in the most expensive city in the country.

Below, check out the twice-monthly paycheck breakdown for workers earning $75,000 in 11 US cities.